


Burnished and Broken

by AnxietyAvocado



Category: Fruits Basket, Fruits Basket (Anime 2019), Fruits Basket - Takaya Natsuki (Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Emotional Hurt, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, i'll add more tags and ships as this goes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:02:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25531783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnxietyAvocado/pseuds/AnxietyAvocado
Summary: Akito got her way - an endless banquet, Kyo in confinement, and Tohru Honda away from her precious Zodiac. Everything should be perfect. Everything is the way she wanted. But still, she knows her Zodiac, knows their very souls - they. may be hers in body, but she doesn't own their hearts and minds anymore. That just won't do.Yuki has been brought back to Akito's side, and is witnessing Kyo's confinement firsthand. Three years ago, he wouldn't have lifted a finger to help his cousin, but now he knows he needs to do whatever he can. He knows how cruel Akito can be, after all. He's determined to help him find a way through this.Tohru Honda got her wish - she's living on her own. It should be everything she wanted, but she misses her Sohma family more than anything. She failed to break the curse, to keep Kyo from confinement, or to truly help her friends. She feels useless, adrift, purposeless.Their stories converge once more as the younger Sohmas work to free Kyo and find a way to create their own happy endings, including bringing Tohru back into their lives.
Relationships: Honda Tohru & Sohma Yuki, Honda Tohru/Sohma Kyou
Comments: 3
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

_ Akito lies. Don’t forget that. She’ll take every fear, every flinch, every weakness she’s accumulated from you over the years and it will feel like you’re being burned with every word she says. Akito lies. She always lies. Don’t talk back to her. Don’t acknowledge it. Speaking just makes her angry. Sit there and be still. She doesn’t want a friend, she doesn’t want family, she wants a doll. She wants a plaything to abuse and you’re going to have to live through that.  _

The words, whispered through the barred window, are a comfort Kyo didn’t expect. Yuki’s voice is unmistakable and the shock of hearing it leaves him mute in a flood of emotions that he had tried to lock away. He doesn’t bother reaching for his cousin, just sits against the wall on his futon like he has day after day, and holds his breath for so long that he sees spots, trying to hold on to his composure. 

Finally, his voice croaks in the darkness, barely above a whisper. “What day is it?”

A different voice answers him. “New Year’s,” Haru murmurs.  _ Oh god.  _ The knowledge that Haru is here too makes him nearly sick to his stomach. He misses his cousins so much that it hurts. 

That was an unexpected loss. He had been solitary, or at least mostly alone, for so much of his life that he didn’t expect to feel so lonely in his cage. 

“We’re expected at the banquet, but I’m sure Akito will come by sooner rather than later,” Yuki hissed, breaking Kyo out of his reverie. “Be ready for it.”

His voice caught in his throat at the warning. For months he had expected Akito to waltz into the room, Kureno or Shigure or Yuki in tow, crowing over her victory and the everlasting friendship of the zodiac that he would never be allowed to join. Every time the door pulled open in a cloud of rust and squeaking hinges, he felt a tremor crawl up his spine, waiting for the abuse. But nothing happened. For months on end there was just silence, bland food delivered by scared girls who must have just started working on the estate (girls who he couldn’t look at after one of them walked in wearing ribbons in her hair just like  _ her,  _ something he was sure Akito had ordered), and the feeling of an ace hanging over his head, ready to fall. 

But it was New Years. There was a proper banquet happening, when Akito would probably be feeling her most smug, most satisfied. Surely she would come for one of her promised visits and rub it in his face? 

* * *

Across the city, in a cramped apartment with a filmy and greasy window, Tohru Honda was sitting under a secondhand kotatsu with a mug of tea in her hands. She was acutely aware of what day it was, and couldn’t help but wonder what her friends - her  _ family  _ \- were doing at this moment. 

Kisa would be preparing for her dance. Hiro would probably be watching her practice. Momiji would be in Hatori’s office chattering away. Haru and Rin were probably sitting somewhere quieter, away from the hustle and bustle. Yuki… yuki was probably with Akito right now, doing whatever the family head had imagined for his future. And Kyo- 

She pushed the thought away. It was too much for her to bear, and made her heart ache with the knowledge of it all. 

Of the curse. Of her love. Of his. Of her failure to do what she had set out to so long ago. 

She was nothing, nobody. She hadn’t been able to break the curse, and it was silly to think that she was special enough to do so. 

It was pointless. It didn’t matter. Nothing she had done mattered, had made a difference in the end. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright my dears, i have some things to share with you to make this story easier
> 
> 1\. this MOSTLY follows canon up through tohru's fall and ending up in the hospital, at which point it diverges. no curses have broken in my version, other than kureno. tohru confesses her love to kyo, he does his broody kyo thing, all of that happens - just no curse breakage  
> 2\. akito revealed herself to be a woman when she thought she had won, realizing that when she finally had everything she wanted there was nothing left to lose. plus, then she gets shigure all the time.   
> 3\. i'm sure i have more notes but i'll add them as they come!

Akito had wished for an endless banquet, but Yuki didn’t know that she had meant it so  _ literally _ . 

It was the first banquet after her self proclaimed “triumph”, not to mention the frankly shocking reveal that she was actually a woman, and Aktio was in the best mood anyone had seen in years. Seated at the head of the table with Yuki on her right and Shigure practically sitting in her lap from the left, she beamed at everyone in the room (including Kureno, who Yuki was surprised to see participating in any of this). From his isolated position so near to the head of the table and head of the family, he watched his cousins as they did their best to talk and enjoy their evening, but even he couldn’t miss the air of strain that hung over the room. 

Everyone knew what -  _ who  _ \- was missing. Just a year ago, they had all celebrated an early New Year’s with Tohru, laughing and eating and sharing stories before so many of the Sohmas were called to the main estate for the actual celebration. Yuki and Kyo had, again, stayed behind in defiance and to stay with Tohru. Yuki had soothed her fears for days afterwards, shushing her whenever she started to fret that Akito would be angry and would take it out on them. Akito had in fact been angry, but had kept to words instead of actions, and Yuki had a lifetime of dealing with that. 

The strain this year, however, didn’t go unnoticed by all those present. Momiji was quieter than usual, and Haru even seemed more cautious than previous years. Shigure was the only one who seemed immune to the tension in the air, laughing with Akito and chattering away with Ayame and Hatori (Yuki thought it might be an act, but he wasn’t sure - his cousin was an asshole but not insensitive after all). 

After hours of music and food, strained small talk and smiles that didn’t quite reach anyone’s eyes, Akito finally dismissed them with a wave of her hand. The younger ones, she said, were annoying her and needed to go get rid of their energy somehow, their fidgeting giving her a headache. Without hesitation, Yuki and Haru had offered to accompany them and Rin walked out silently after the group, her eyes daring Akito to remind her that she hadn’t actually asked permission. As Yuki closed the door behind them, he didn’t miss the tightness around Akito’s mouth or the flash of anger in her eyes as she was left behind with Shigure, Hatori, Ayame, and Kureno. He was right in telling Kyo that Akito would visit soon, he knew. 

* * *

The day after the banquet, the door to the Cat’s Room slammed open, sending clouds of dust and rust into the air. Kyo had been laying on his back, watching his breath puff up in the frigid room, and didn’t move at the noise. He focused on what Yuki had told him.  _ Don’t react. Don’t flinch. Don’t give her any ammo for this fight. Just focus. Shishou taught you how to meditate, damnit, use it. _

“How is it that you can ruin a banquet without even being there?” Akito snarled. “It was a mistake, letting you have your freedom, one that you’ll pay for now.”

Kyo lay there and fought to school his expression into something neutral. Akito could shout all she liked, and storm around and blame him, but it didn’t mean he had to react. He had been prepared for this kind of abuse after all. 

“-all of them, and even when she’s not here she’s still ruining things,” she continued in a rage. “How did you do it, monster? How did you and your little whore turn all my zodiac against me? I could  _ feel  _ it during the banquet - all of them thinking about her. Even Shigure, even my lapdog! I won’t have it! I will not!”

Staying still while listening to Akito disparage Tohru was one of the hardest things he had faced in recent days. He could take the abuse - it was expected, and some days he even thought it was warranted. But Tohru had done nothing to deserve those harsh words. He couldn’t help the way his fists clenched or his sharp intake of breath. 

Akito noticed.  _ Fuck.  _

Her demeanor changed in an instant, the threatening air replaced by something sickly sweet. “Do you know what she did for New Year’s, my little monster? She went to work and spent her whole day wishing people a happy new year, and blessings for their families, and then went home and did  _ nothing _ . Sat in that shitty excuse for an apartment and stared at the walls and didn’t move. I don’t know what would have been more pathetic,” she said with a laugh. “The fact that she can’t seem to manage without you, or her moving on completely, forgetting all about you. 

But no matter. You’re here, and she’s there, and she’ll never get near you again. None of you. You’re all mine, just like I said you would be.”

Rummaging around in her pocket, Akito tossed something through the bars of the cell, and it rolled underneath his cot. 

“You don’t think I would have forgotten you on New Year’s, did you?” she crooned. “No, I didn’t. Of course I wouldn’t! Because unlike her, I love you, Kyo. I always have. Enjoy.”

Hours after Akito left, Kyo lay on his cot, staring at the ceiling.  _ You’re wrong,  _ he thought.  _ She did love me. And I love her. You can’t take that away from me, you bitch. You can lock me up but you can’t change that, and it kills you doesn’t it? That someone outside of the Zodiac loved your precious pawns. Rot in hell.  _

Reaching underneath the cot, Kyo’s breath caught in his throat as he found what Akito had tossed at him. It was a rice ball, wrapped neatly in plastic wrap, almost shaped like a cat. It brought him back to the booth his class had done for the festival in an instant, and his heart lodged itself in his throat. He tore open the wrapper and bit into it before gagging. 

It had chives in it. Of course Akito would find a way to ruin his happy memories. Spitting it out, he tossed the riceball back through the bars and rolled to face the wall. 


	3. Chapter 3

_ “Akito has called for you, Master Yuki.” _

_ If it weren’t for his mother in the next room, Yuki would have made some kind of excuse and avoided the whole situation, but all he could do was sigh and follow. He had moved home just a day prior. Resigned, he followed to the main house and to Akito’s room, where he found her sitting with Kureno and Hatori.  _

_ “Yuki, my boy!” Akito beamed at him. “Join us! We were just talking about you.” _

_ He crossed the room and sat next to Hatori, eyes firmly on the table in front of him. The old fear returned, that he would be kept in that dark cage once again, locked in a room for Akito to keep as her own, and that Hatori and Kureno were here to carry out her wishes. His stomach clenched and his hands shook as he waited for whatever punishment was awaiting him for keeping away from Akito for so long.  _

_ It was Hatori who broke him out of his thoughts.  _

_ “We were just talking about your university prospects,” he said evenly. “Your mother has made her wishes quite clear about all of it, but Shigure was so kind as to remind Akito that you had a different plan in mind that you had mentioned at your last career conference.” _

_ He looked up in confusion. He wasn’t going to be punished? Locked up? It seemed impossible that he might be given what he had wanted for so long - a choice in his own future.  _

_ Yuki cleared his throat. “Um- I- Yes. Mother has made it clear she wishes me to become a lawyer, but I would like... “ He trailed off, looking at Hatori for encouragement, who nodded. “I would like to do something else. And I would like the time to find that as well.” _

_ It was a risk, showing his hand like that, but Yuki was sure that Akito would know if he was lying. He was always afraid that Akito had never left his head, and that every traitorous thought was laid bare for her to see.  _

_ Akito hummed, taking her time considering her answer.  _

_ “Shigure and Hatori have told me how well you’ve done, and they’ve convinced me that you deserve a reward. After all, I want you to be happy. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. So you may apply to schools of your choice. Make us proud, Yuki. Make me proud.” _

That had been months ago. Since then, Yuki had enrolled in Tokyo Polytechnic and had taken courses in many different programs. He had taken labs and joined study groups and cautiously made friends where he could. 

It was then that he realized he’d been given an opportunity. He had enough study groups that adding one more to his calendar was hardly noticeable. On Wednesday nights, he left the estate for a “study group” that met at one of the satellite libraries. He took the bus to get there, and immediately turned and walked three blocks away from the library to his true destination. 

There was a Family Mart across the street from a small park, where he would sit on a bench and enjoy one hour of time where he could breathe freely. 

It was also the one hour where he could be near Tohru. The one hour, the one place where he could see his friend, even if she couldn’t see him. 

It had been a condition of letting her go with her memories, Shigure had told him. On that stifling, empty summer day where they had packed up and returned to the main estate, he had mentioned that Tohru wouldn’t be allowed to see any Sohmas ever again, and if she kept her promise she could keep her memories. 

Yuki thought it was cruel, another thread in the tapestry of pain and anguish Akito always seemed to be weaving throughout their lives. 

* * *

Tohru missed her job  _ so much _ . It hadn’t been anything fancy, just cleaning in the office building, but it was familiar and routine and something that she knew she was good at and actually liked doing. 

Family Mart was… too harsh, too bright. Everything about it seemed sterile and impersonal and nothing like she had imagined for her future. But it was a job, and it kept her afloat, and it kept her end of the bargain. 

She hadn’t expected to lose her job when she lost the Sohmas, but it made sense. It was where Momiji’s father worked after all, where she sometimes saw Momo, and where she spent her evenings with Momiji when they didn’t have homework. Idly, she wondered if her co-workers were doing alright without her. Was Etsu able to spend more time with her grandson? Did they still let Momiji help them with the trash on Tuesdays? Did anyone remember to keep candies in their pockets for Momo?

When she took her break, she walked outside with a pre packaged riceball in hand, looking down at her dinner in disappointment. This happened a lot - with her small kitchen and limited budget, she often used her employee discount to buy her dinner and other meals. She missed cooking and the joy and purpose that it brought her, but it couldn’t be helped. 

Leaning against the outside of the store, she carefully unwrapped her meal when a motion caught her eye. 

She nearly dropped her bottled water when she saw that it was Yuki. Yuki! Her friend, one of her best friends in the whole world, who she loved and missed  _ so much _ . Opening her mouth, she started to call out for him, but stopped short as she remembered the deal she made. 

_ The hospital room, cold to begin with, dropped in temperature when Akito walked in. She slinked in, making almost no noise, and stood at the foot of Tohru’s bed and stared.  _

_ The silence from the woman was deafening, muffling the beeps in the room and the quiet chatter outside. She regarded Tohru with contempt and something that looked like glee, while Tohru looked back with open and friendly eagerness.  _

_ “I never did get your answer,” Tohru said softly. “Will you let me be your friend? We all need someone in this world to love us, even you, even if you don’t think so.” _

_ Speaking of love was the wrong thing to do, because Akito exploded at her, shouting about how love was selfish and manipulative and controlling, how her love forced the Zodiac to choose. How they chose Tohru over her, and how she would never forgive that.  _

_ It was as though a flip switched at that, and Akito smoothed her sweater down. She looked calm, almost statuesque in her stillness… and then the offer came.  _

_ Tohru would keep her memories, her freedom, in exchange for leaving the Sohmas forever. She would never speak to them again, and in return? Akito would guarantee Kyo’s freedom from the Cat Room. He would only be confined to the estate.  _

_ It was more than Tohru had hoped, and so she readily agreed. She felt so selfish, but it kept the Zodiac together and happier than they might be otherwise. Besides, it seemed as though nothing she did would break the curse. Everything she had tried had failed.  _

_ So she agreed. She didn’t have the benefit of Yuki’s experience or wisdom. She didn’t ever see firsthand how brutal Akito could be. She didn’t know the first rule of engagement with the Zodiac God.  _

_ Akito lies.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright, so i've gone three chapters without adding any notes so far but i figured i would pop in to say hello!
> 
> first of all, i'm akitoes on tumblr if you ever feel like shouting at me about fruits basket and the like. 
> 
> secondly, reviews and comments are always welcome and incredibly needed/encouraged. you'll see i'm working with shorter chapter lengths here, and that the whole .... point? yeah, point of this story, hasn't been brought up yet. but i do hope that you'll stick around and see what twists and turns are thrown at our beloved characters and how their lives come together once more in this alternate-ending fruits basket story. 
> 
> love ya!


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